Historically, data generated by a user of a computer was either saved in the memory of the computer, stored in some other type of memory or printed on paper, i.e., a hard copy of the generated data. Storing of data within the computer's memory had it limitations. As data became voluminous, the size of the computer's memory also became voluminous. The added cost of providing random access memory for storing data in a computer's memory became prohibitive.
The floppy disk drive became the mainstay for storing data. The predominate or attractive feature of the floppy disk was that data could be stored on the floppy disk, removed from the floppy disk-drive and another floppy disk inserted in its place thereby creating an endless data storage medium. The floppy disk had limitations due to the limited amount of data that could be stored on a single floppy disk.
The solution to voluminous data, prohibitive cost of storing data in random access memory and the limited storage capacity of floppy disks took the form of storing data on punch cards, magnetic drums, hard-disks and compact-disks. Each of these attempts to solve the problem of storing voluminous data had varying degrees of success. Each method stored data and provided an almost endless supply of data storage space.
With the advent of client-server technology, i.e., a plurality of users of computer terminals all connected to a central server, the need to store data increased. The proliferation of client-server technology coupled with the need for data storage created a secondary problem related to data storage, i.e., supportability and accessibility to the stored data.
When data was stored using any of the above discussed data storage media, the problem of storing the data storage medium themselves emerges. Once a storage medium was taken off-line from the computer or client-server, access to the data stored thereon became problematic. Attempts to solve the secondary problem of supportability and accessibility to the stored data took the form of compressing the data and storing it on various types of storage media, which could remain on-line and accessible to the computer or client-server. This attempt solved only part of the problem of supportability and accessibility.
Generally, when data was compressed and stored on a storage medium, identifying the data on the storage medium emerged as a limitation to this technology due to the limited identification of the data on the compressed data header. For example, voluminous data that was compressed and stored on an on-line storage medium allows a limited number of characters or numbers to identify the compressed data. A particular or desired data file stored in this manner became inaccessible to the user because the data file of interest might not be listed in the compressed data header. The user was forced to uncompress all of the compressed data and manually (with the aid of a computer) search for the data file of interest.
Supportability and accessibility of stored data and retrieving stored data became particularly evident in companies or organizations engaged in telephone solicitation or call-center technology. By law, some companies or organizations engaged in call-center technology must retain the voice and data text transactions between the organization and the person being contacted by telephone for a prescribed period of time. Recording voices and storing text data generated an even greater quantity of data requiring storage.
It would be desirable to have a facilitator to plan, organize and implement data storage technology that would enable voluminous data of all types to be kept on an alternative storage medium accessible by the originating system and that would be supportable and accessible by an on-line user. The facilitator would periodically or at a scheduled time analyze the computer or client server for data in need of storage. The facilitator would formulate a listing of the intended stored data, store the data on an alternative storage medium accessible by the originating system and remove the original data from the computer or client server. On demand the facilitator would produce the aforementioned listing of stored data for review by the user. Upon command by the user, the facilitator would extract the data of interest from the alternative storage medium. The requested data would be made available on the original system.